They were here in Oz ~ they were hot. They are: Hot Chip

Hot Chip are the much raved about indie/dance outfit from the UK.

They’ve just done some of the Big Day Out circuit here but have now returned home and are touring the UK.

Ready for the Floor is the first single off their awaited third album, Made in the Dark, with the album also being released.

For a limited time, you can listen online at ninemsn.

Once you’ve heard it, you’ll probably want to buy the album!

Happy listening…

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For Telstra’s Next G 28 January was never going to happen

Stephen Conroy (the Broadband Minister) ruled Telstra couldn’t shut down its CDMA network just yet.

The fact that Telstra wasn’t going to make their 28 January deadline wasn’t a surprise to some. I imagine the least surprised were any living in rural and outback areas, where service and coverage was promised and in some cases, not able to be delivered.

Though, what about those who were pressured or lured into buying the new NextG phones? You could only hope they haven’t as yet recycled their old CDMA phones – unless they’re in an area where the Next G coverage is working just fine.

Read more – ZDNET story

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The 2008 round-up continued

More action, updates and gossip to read if you weren’t a lucky BDO punter. Remember, the Big Day Out official site has press releases – of the shows as they travel around: BDO Press Releases.

Bjork fans would have been shattered by her having to pull out of Sydney BDO due to swollen vocal chords. She was back on the bill for Melbourne – vocal chords all rested, costumes all flowy, stage presence amazing!

Weatherwise, showers had plagued the Gold Coast event, but weather for Sydney and Melbourne was hot and dry. Melbourne BDO saw the move to Flemington Racecourse, which proved to be nice and roomy, however dust was a bit of a problem.

In Sydney, Police and rescue workers praised the behaviour of the BDO crowds. However, in Melbourne, crowds caused pandemonium when they surged forward and started climbing structures to see Rage Against the Machine. One guy, whilst unconscious, had to be crowd-surfed to an ambulance.

I cannot understand the stupidity of dangerous unruly crowds. Of course, some moshing, pushing, shoving is unavoidable (no problems there), but when it escalates to surging and crushing fans, they are ultimately risking their safety ~ but more importantly, that of many others by their actions. The tragedy of Sydney’s 2001 Big Day Out should not just be a distant memory!

Ok, I’m off my soap-box now!

For more highlights and updates, also check out In the Mix, Triple J or Central Station.

Also, check out Josh Pyke’s own BDO diaries as he travels around with the tour – Sydney, Melbourne.

Buy BDO artists albums online

Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem and Silverchair:

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Related:
BDO Auckland, Gold Coast
BDO Adelaide, Perth
BDO Backstage

It’s sleek, it’s sexy!

Guess it depends on what you’re after though. With rumours that the Apple iPhone will be launched in Australia this year, your main decision is “Do I need a new phone and an iPod – or would I prefer that the two aren’t combined?”

Even – “do we wait until the 2nd generation?”.

Features:

• Multi-touch interface
• Compatible file formats: AAC, MP3, MPEG-4, JPEG
• Large screen
• Accelerometer (detects change from portrait to landscape)
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Safari web browser
• Inbuilt YouTube
• Cover Flow (as with new iPod classic and nano)
• Other apps: Contacts, Calculator, new applications available (Mail, Weather, Maps, and more)

Pro’s: Pencil thin, very aesthetically pleasing, reasonable battery life, easy menu navigation, good screen size for video playback, headphone jack accessible without adaptor (for non-Apple headphones).

Con’s: Not huge storage space for video files, wireless iTunes only for songs at this stage, new applications come with price tag attached, data entry difficult without stylus, no physical volume buttons (on screen adjustments), price.

Where to find reviews on the iPod touch?

Online industry reviews:

• zdnet.com.au
• cnet.com.au
• smarthouse.com.au
• pcmag.com

We’ve got you covered

Of course, for those of us who were too excited to wait, we need to make sure our investment lasts. As with any sizable gadget investment, the most important thing is protection.

If you want ultimate protection whilst keeping the sleek black design, then the velvety-soft 4Mac silicone skin (only $24.95) is perfect for your iPod touch. Don’t like smudges on your iPod touch screen? Don’t worry, it comes with a screen protector!

READ MORE AND ORDER NOW

Want to post your own iPod touch review here??

Add your comments below.

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